1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to computer interface devices that enable a user to read information to and from a computer. More specifically, the present invention relates to interface devices that enable games, toys, activity centers and other amusement devices to directly interact with a personal computer.
2. Prior Art Statement
There are many different types of computer interface devices that exist in the prior art record. The primary purpose of a computer interface device is to enable a user to enter and retrieve data from a computer. Computer interfaces typically fall into one of two categories, which are data input interfaces and data retrieval interfaces. Data input interfaces are used to enter data into a computer. The most common type of data input interface for a computer is the computer keyboard. A computer keyboard enables alphanumeric characters to be selectively entered as data into a computer. Other common types of data input interfaces for a computer include touch pads, touch screens, mice, scanners, modems and the like. Data retrieval interfaces are used to read data from a computer. The most common types of data retrieval interfaces are display screens and printers.
In the prior art there are very few computer interface devices that are specifically designed to interconnect personal computers with games, toys, activity centers and other amusement devices. Of the few computer interfaces that do exist for amusement devices, most came into existence when circuitry was added to a conventional game. Over the years, various manufacturers have added processor circuitry to the physical structure of different games so that the role of at least one player can be played by the processor circuitry. In each instance, some mechanism was developed that informs the processor circuitry about the layout of the game, the position of the game pieces and the change in those positions after each move. Such an information exchange with the processor is required if the processor circuitry is going to participate in the play of the game. For example, there are many different manufacturers that make computerized chess games. In such games, the chess board contains a plurality of electronic trigger elements that are triggered by the playing pieces. As a result, the chess board acts as a computer interface that reads to a computer the location of the playing pieces as the playing pieces are moved across the board. Another example of a game/computer interface is found in U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 5,393,074 to Bear, entitled MODULAR ELECTRONIC GAMING SYSTEM. In this patent, a computer is connected to a game board having a game path that can be custom designed. As the game path on the board is designed, the computer recognizes the pattern and directs play accordingly.
Although processor circuitry has been added to many different games, many other games have never been updated. One class of games that has typically not been updated with electronics is classic board games. Classic board games include such games as Monopoly(copyright), Life(copyright), Candyland(copyright), Risk(copyright), Scrabble(copyright) and the like. Rather than having electronics added to the structure of classic board games, classic board games have commonly been converted into software packages that can be run by a personal computer. As such, instead of processor circuity being added to the structure of the board game, the structure of the board game is converted to imagery that is reproduced on a computer screen. For example, if a player were to run a Monopoly(copyright) game program on his/her computer, the game board, playing pieces, money, cards and dice would be reproduced on the computer screen. The player would then interact with the computer using the computer keyboard or mouse. Despite how good a computer programs graphics may be, playing a game on a computer screen is rarely as good as viewing the real physical game. Similarly, clicking a mouse to move an icon on a computer screen is not as much fun as physically grasping a playing piece and moving it around a board. Another disadvantage of game software is that the screen used to display the game board is often small. It is therefore very difficult for multiple people to view the computer screen simultaneously in order to determine the position of their game pieces and the game pieces of the other players.
A need therefore exists in the art for a way to interface various physical games, activity centers and other amusement devices with a computer so that the physical structure of the game is not significantly altered, yet a computer is enabled to communicate with the structure of the game so that it can participate in the play of the game. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.
The present invention is a system and method for interconnecting a computer with the physical structure of an amusement device, such as a board game, a child""s activity center or a puzzle. The system utilizes a preexisting remote computer, such as a personal computer or a video game computer station. The computer is attached to an interface assembly using the connection features that exist on the computer. The interface assembly contains a plurality of play object identifiers that are capable of identifying various play objects when the play objects are placed on the interface assembly.
Depending upon the game or activity being played, the system may have a plurality of prop objects that are affixed to the interface assembly or selectively positionable on the interface assembly. The prop objects are used to create an activity landscape on the interface assembly. The computer reads the configuration of the activity landscape through the interface assembly. The game or activity being played also has action objects that are selectively positionable on the interface assembly and the prop objects within the activity landscape, wherein the interface assembly reads the position of the action objects to the computer. The activity landscape may also contain activity stations. Activity stations are places in the game where the activity landscape can be manually manipulated. At the activity stations, the movement of activity landscape is read by the computer.
By reading the activity landscape, the movement of play objects and the movements at activity stations, a computer can interact in play by taking the part of a player or prompting a story line that promotes play.